Iran-US war latest: Tehran brands Trump ‘inconsistent with reality’ after he announces peace deal is ‘largely negotiated’

US secretary of state Marco Rubio has hinted that there “is a possibility of good news over the next few hours” on the Strait of Hormuz.

Speaking in India, where he is meeting India’s foreign minister, Mr Rubio said that “some progress has been made in the past 48 hours on an outline that could resolve the Strait of Hormuz situation”.

President Donald Trump said on Saturday that a “largely negotiated” memorandum of understanding on an Iran peace deal would reopen the Strait of Hormuz, as expectations rose that a turning point might be imminent in the three-month-old war.

Mr Trump posted on social media that the emerging agreement would reopen the strait, the vital shipping passage whose closure has sparked a global energy crisis since the US and Israel launched the war on Iran in February. He did not say what else would be included in an agreement.

“Final aspects and details of the Deal are currently being discussed, and will be announced shortly,” Mr Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Over 100 days after the brutal and unprecedented crackdown during Iran’s national uprising, life will never be the same for many of the young people who took to the streets.

As waves of arrests, executions and heavy sentences continue to mount, dozens of young protesters are now in a state of limbo between hiding and constant flight. They cannot return home, switch on their phones or even spend two nights in the same place.

Independent Persian has learned from sources in Tehran, Karaj, Zanjan, Mashhad, Isfahan, Rasht, Shiraz, Kermanshah and Kish that some individuals who took part in demonstrations in January have gone into hiding after repeated summons and attempted arrests by security forces.

The constant fear of arrest has turned every ringing doorbell, unknown phone call or checkpoint into a potential nightmare of torture, disappearance, execution or death in custody.

Read more from Amirhossein Miresmaeili here:

Speaking about the draft Iran deal, US secretary of state Marco Rubio has said that “some progress has been made – significant progress, although not final progress”.

He hinted that “there will be, maybe, more news coming out a bit later today”. Mr Rubio, who is speaking at a news conference with India’s foreign minister in New Delhi, emphasised that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon.

He said that it was possible that further good news is to come “at least in regards to the Strait”.

The US has committed to withdraw forces from the region under the draft deal negotiated with Iran, Iranian media has said.

Iran’s Fars news agency has also said that the draft memorandum includes a temporary lifting of sanctions on Iran’s oil, gas, and petrochemicals during the negotiation period. There is not yet detail on what this might look like.

Iran has also stressed its sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz, and more details on this will be announced soon, according to Tasnim news agency.

A potential memorandum on ending the war between Iran and the US includes a proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran’s Tasnim news agency has said that, if the deal is reached with the US, the Strait of Hormuz will not return to pre-war conditions. They predict that the number of ships that are able to transit the Strait will return to pre-war levels in 30 days . No change will reportedly occur in the Strait unless the blockage of Iranian vessels by the US is lifted.

The Tasnim news agency has reported this morning that the reopening of the Strait will be conditional on the implementation of other commitments by the US in the draft agreement.

Iran has executed a man for sending information about its defence industry to the US and Israel during the war, the Iranian judiciary’s Mizan news agency just reported.

The individual, identified as Mojtaba Kian, was sending data to “the enemy”, the agency said.

The US would lift its blockade on Iranian ports and issue some sanction waivers to allow Iran to sell oil freely, under the terms of the memorandum that has been negotiated overnight, according to Axios.

Under terms of the reported deal, the US would also agree to negotiate over the lifting of sanctions and the unfreezing of Iranian funds.

According to Iranian media, the draft memorandum also includes a stipulation that Washington and its allies will not attack Iran and its allies. Iran will also pledge not to launch any preemptive military attacks.

Plans for Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium are still to be negotiated, the New York Times is reporting.

The US and Iran are close to signing a deal involving a 60-day ceasefire extension during which the Strait of Hormuz would also be reopened, according to a report by Axios citing a US official.

Under the proposed deal, the strait would be open with no tolls and Iran would agree to clear the mines it deployed in the waterway. In exchange, the US would lift its blockade on Iranian ports and issue sanctions waivers allowing Iran to sell oil freely.

The draft agreement also includes commitments from Iran to never pursue nuclear weapons and to negotiate over a suspension of its uranium enrichment programme and the removal of its stockpile of highly enriched uranium, Axios reported. Iran gave the US verbal commitments through mediators about the scope of concessions it was willing to make on enrichment and nuclear material, two sources told Axios.

The US would also agree to negotiate over lifting sanctions and unfreezing Iranian funds during the 60-day period.

Turkish president Tayyip Erdogan said today that Turkey was ready to provide every kind of support during the implementation of a potential deal with Iran, speaking on a call with US president Donald Trump and regional leaders.

An agreement to secure free passage through the Strait of Hormuz would support stability in the region and provide relief to the global economy, Erdogan said, according to his office.